Mandarin Oriental, Munich

Recent major renovations to the lobby and bar have further enhanced Mandarin Oriental, Munich’s appeal. It has long been renowned among both travellers and locals because of its rooftop terrace with swimming pool, and now more so with the opening of a superb Matsuhisa restaurant.

Location

The hotel backs on to the famous Hofbräuhaus beer cellar. In one direction, it is just a few hundred metres from Maximilianstraße, home to numerous fashion boutiques and the opera house. A similar distance in the opposite direction is Marienplatz, the centre of the city, with regular S-Bahns and U-Bahns. There are plenty of high-quality restaurants and bars in the vicinity of the hotel.

Address: Neuturmstrasse 1, 80331 Munich, Germany.

Style & character

The so-called ‘oriental’ style familiar to Mandarin guests across the world also forms part of the style of Munich’s MO. There are original art works, and bespoke furniture pieces and carpets throughout. However, tt also has features that are decidedly Munich, such as the recently recreated August Endell 1897 relief ‘swish’ on the new lobby staircase – art aficionados will recognise it as the design that adorned a Munich atelier, marking the early phase of Jugendstil.

Mandarin Oriental, Munich via Scott Dunn

Service & facilities

Similar to its high-end competitors, the hotel offers top-of-the-range service and facilities. This ranges from 24-hour room service to a butler. There is a fitness centre (open 24-hours a day), swimming pool, steam bath, sauna and various beauty services. Staff are very knowledgeable about the city and offer very good advice and tips on what to do and where to go.

Bar

Fitness centre

Laundry

Parking

Pool

Restaurant

Room service

Sauna

Steam room/hammam

Wi-Fi

Rooms

With 48 rooms and 25 suites, MO has a boutique feel and subsequently claims a personalised, familiar relationship with guests. The three best suites are the Grand Presidential, the Presidential and the Oriental Suite, which measure 325, 120 and 70 square metres respectively. The Grand Presidential and Presidential can be combined to create one mammoth suit on the top floor. Designers have combined a traditional and modern look in rooms, with a deliberate focus on a so-called Neo-Biedermeier style complemented by ‘Asian’ design elements. A typical two-person Superior Room has wooden flooring, art works by Hong Kong’s Wong Kee Chee, king-sized beds, cherry-wood furnishings, walk-in showers in bathrooms with heated floors. In addition to the Bang & Olufsen TV in the room, there is also one in the bathroom.

Mandarin Oriental, Munich via Hotels & Style

Food & drink

The Michelin-starred restaurant Mark’s was replaced in 2015 by Matsuhisa Munich, which similarly serves fantastic food, this time focusing on Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Star chef Nobu Matsuhisa lends his name and reputation to a handful of eateries, and his Munich version leans heavily towards seafood dishes, including a dedicated Sushi bar. Bar 31 opened with the recent renovation and has been rightly praised for its style and food: woods complemented by a marble bar and lots of natural light via huge windows, plus a Matsuhisa menu. The Lounge serves assorted international dishes, plus afternoon tea. In the summer, hotel guests head to the China Moon Rooftop Terrace for a swim – non-guests can join them for Asian and Mediterranean dishes and cocktails, with a fantastic 360-degree view of Munich’s cityscape.

Access for guests with disabilities?

There is wheelchair access to most rooms via the lift and to the restaurant, but not the rooftop terrace.